Love is thicker than blood
by PinkPixieDoll93
Summary: Antonio Utonium, father of three superheroines, has tried to keep his brother from them their whole lives, damning the very mention of his name. Antonio was good, taking after his mortal parent rather than the demon, and used his life and purpose for the sake of bettering humanity...but what happens when one of his daughters falls in love with the ultimate evil? Hibbles.
1. Chapter One: Promise

Author's Note: This is my second attempt at a Hibbles fanfiction. I'm hoping it will turn out better than my first, which in my opinion, seemed rushed. I love this couple so much and I wanted to write a story worthy of their greatness as a pair.

Chapter One: Promise

Antonio sat in the waiting room of the E.R., wringing his hands, sobbing. His stomach was in knots and his entire body felt cold. The smell of the antiseptic made him cringe, and the excessive air conditioning in the place made him shiver. The white walls and fluorescent lighting had a spooky effect...he was praying, something he didn't personally believe in, but anything to assure that his wife, Vanessa, was going to be all right.

"Dear Lord, please watch over my beloved wife...I don't know why this accident happened, why it had to happen to her, but I could not bear to lose her...and all the children would be devastated without her. Please make her well again."

Vanessa Utonium was the newest kindergarten teacher at Pokey Oaks, she had begun teaching late that August. The 31-year-old woman was passionate about children and was naturally maternal and nurturing. Her students loved her dearly like a mother or an aunt, and though she did have a few troubled or "difficult" children in her class, she was patient and understanding enough to work with them so that they would succeed and thrive, as well as make friends with their peers. She wanted children of her own with Antonio, and within the last 6 months they had been trying for a baby, though for whatever reason they were unsuccessful. They had tried numerous fertility treatments that had not worked, and Antonio, being a scientist, was trying to desperately come up with a formula that would help them conceive.

And at this moment, their entire romance and life together flashed before his eyes...the moment she had made the right choice, choosing him over his wicked brother, the most feared villain in all of Townsville. He remembered her words so clearly the day she rushed into his arms, escaping from his brother's clutches.

"Antonio...I've decided to leave Adrienne, or as he likes to be called, His Infernal Majesty, for good. I cannot take his cruel ways anymore...the life I had with him was a rollercoaster, but it's doing more harm than good and I just can't continue to partake in his crimes...I need someone I know I can love and trust...and spend the rest of my life with." He held the beautiful young woman in his arms and kissed her, making a promise to never leave her side. And to this day, in the emergency room, he had kept his word.

The hot tears were stinging his eyes as he felt the lump rise in his throat and his lower lip quiver. Damn the careless truck driver that had hit Vanessa, threatening such a precious, ultimately good life. The woman he loved dearly with all his heart, the companion he had been waiting his whole life for. Though Antonio and his brother Adrienne were both born to a demon mother and a mortal father, Antonio, taking after his father more, suppressed the evil urges he had throughout his life, though occasionally putting evil thoughts into others' heads involuntarily (which he regretted with the utmost sorrow). He had dedicated his life to do good, using his impeccable scientific knowledge for medicine and discovery rather than poisoning and manipulating mortals. He had married one, after all.

As Antonio's tears hit his black slacks, he saw through blurred vision that an older, dark-skinned man wearing a lab coat was walking towards him slowly with concern in his deep brown eyes. Antonio blinked and wiped his heavily wet face. Fearing for the love of his life, he was not ashamed to cry in front of another man. "Mr. Utonium," The man said, reaching his hand down to Antonio, "My name is Dr. Warrington." Antonio stood up, shaking the man's hand. "How's Vanessa...?" He stammered, "Please tell me she's alive." Dr. Warrington gripped Antonio's hand in both of his, looking down at the floor before aiming his gaze directly into the crying man's eyes. "She is, Mr. Utonium," and a sudden wave of relief rushed over Antonio's body, making his heart soar. "Oh thank you, thank you." He said, shaking both the doctor's hands with both of his own. "Sir, you didn't let me finish." Dr. Warrington cut him off, "She's alive, but she's only got moments...I give it only a half hour at most. The collision completely crushed her...all her organs are destroyed. Every second she lives, she will be in constant pain." Antonio suddenly became pale, his stomach turning. "Oh my God..." He said, suddenly letting go of the doctor's hands, "OH MY GOD!" He rushed over to the nearest trash can in the room and vomited, losing himself in uncontrollable sobs on the floor. Dr. Warrington put his hand on the man's back, comforting him as he had just gotten his heart ripped out, his whole life gone. "Come on, Antonio." the doctor said with concern, "It's going to be all right." Antonio stood up after wiping the acidic vomit from his mouth and threw his arms around Dr. Warrington, sobbing into his shoulder. Any bit of shame and modesty was gone at this point as the doctor genuinely hugged him back, feeling the pain of a man losing his wife. He couldn't imagine the anguish in Antonio's poor heart. "Go to her." Dr. Warrington said, helping the man regain composure, "Say your goodbyes. You need to."

Antonio slowly walked towards the door to the room where his wife was being kept. His hands were shaking as he pushed it open. There she was, his wounded angel, lying in the hospital bed. She was covered mostly by a white sheet, but he could see the bruises and blood all over her delicate, pale face. Her curly black hair was partially ripped out and covered in blood as well, and both her emerald eyes had been blackened. She was white as a sheet, even the color in her lips were gone. Seeing the life leave his wife's kind, pure eyes was ripping Antonio's soul apart. But he had to fulfill his beloved wife's final wishes. He approached the bed, taking her bruised, broken hand in his own. "I love you with every inch of my heart." He said to her, "And I always will. Vanessa...you're everything to me. I don't know how I'm going to survive without you. We were supposed to have children...CURSE ME for not finding an infertility cure!" "Don't speak..." Vanessa said, her beautiful voice hoarse, "I need you to do something for me, Antonio." Just the sound of her voice made him wrack with sobs. Even on her deathbed, she sounded like an angel, her voice sweet and patient as always. But he looked into her jewel-like eyes and listened to her words. "We will have our children, you will. I just won't be physically here to see them. I need you to take part of me with you after I'm gone...take strands of my hair, I already cut them off." Antonio glanced at the stand on the side of Vanessa's bed, seeing her beautiful yet damaged locks sitting on the delicate white wood. "You're a scientist, I know you can create children from my pure DNA alone, and being half-demon...you have powers to make them without a female surrogate." Antonio began to cry harder than ever, draping his body over his wife's, gently though, as not to cause her more pain in her final moments. "I will do it, Vanessa." he said as he gave her a kiss on the lips, "I swear to you with every damn fiber in my being I will do it. I will raise our children to be the best I can make them...to be as amazing, beautiful, smart, and compassionate as their mother..." Vanessa kissed her beloved husband back for a final time, before grasping his hands tightly with all the strength she had left in her. "Antonio, you are my light." She said, her voice shaking with tears, "You are my heart and soul, and a part of me will always be with you. Please, never remarry. Take care of our children. Love them as much, more than you ever loved me. I love you more than words can explain...so much that it would destroy me to show you how much I love you." "Speak no more, Vanessa." Antonio said, holding his wife's hand on his chest so she could feel his heartbeat, "I love you with everything I've got, angel. I'll love those babies more than life itself, and I'll protect them with every bit of strength I've got in me. Watch over us from the other side..." And after a few moments of quiet crying from the young couple, Vanessa's heart monitor let out a long, high pitched beep. She was gone.


	2. Chapter Two: A Hero

Author's note:

Thanks to those who reviewed Chapter One, the few of you. Reviews are gold to me, and I hope to get more of them as I post the rest of the chapters. I'm scared of losing my touch as I continue to write this story, so constructive criticism and helpful suggestions would mean a lot. Thanks. 

Chapter Two: A Hero

The funeral home was beautiful, decorated all white and pink with lilies, Vanessa's favorite flower. It was meant to be a replica of Antonio and Vanessa's wedding; he had planned it that way. He didn't want his wife's funeral to be a dark affair, though it would surely be a mournful one. All the children from Pokey Oaks kindergarten would attend and it was bittersweet. Antonio loved being around children, but this was the worst possible occasion. Not only was he mourning the loss of the love of his life, he would be comforting the broken-hearted children, and seeing them so distraught was alone enough to bring Antonio to tears. He would have to be strong though, Vanessa would want him to be, and to console the children. One of the many reasons Vanessa loved Antonio so dearly was that she knew he would make the perfect father. So smart, so strong, and yet so carefree and full of light. Any child would be lucky to call him Dad.

As he sat in his chair, closest to the aisle in the left front row, Antonio began to see the guests arrive. First was a mother with a small boy wrapped around her leg. She had short auburn hair, brown eyes, and freckles across her nose. She wore a black blazer with a knee-length black dress underneath, and black heels. In her arms, she was carrying a boquet of yellow and pink roses. Her son, who was 5 or 6 years old, was a carbon copy of her. He looked a bit dirty, as if he had been playing in the sandbox or his backyard just before arriving. He was not dressed formally like his mother; he was dressed like a typical little boy. He had on a black t-shirt that read "Mitch Rocks!", and it looked to be homemade. He had on yellow shorts, white tube socks, and black shoes that were caked in dirt. In his hand, he carried a red truck and a card shaped like a school bus. The mother signed her and her son into the guest book, and sat down next to Antonio.

"Hi," she said, "Are you Vanessa's husband?" "Yes I am," Antonio said, extending his hand, "Antonio Utonium. Pleasure to meet you." "Carley Mitchelson." the woman said, shaking Antonio's hand, "My son, Mitchell, was a student of Vanessa's. He adored her...she was his favorite teacher." "I'm very happy to hear that." Antonio said, beginning to already tear up at the thought of how much Vanessa impacted her students, "Thank you both so much for coming." He leaned down to shake the little boy's hand. "Hey little guy," he said, "I'm very happy you're here." Mitch hid behind his mother's leg, obviously shy, and sad, though he didn't want to show it in front of Antonio because to him, he was a stranger. "He's shy." Carley giggled, "But he really wanted to come...he still doesn't understand that Vanessa is, well, you know, gone, and he thinks this is a party for her. He wanted to give her his truck." She giggled lightheartedly, but smiled in a way that it was obvious she was very sad. "That's sweet," Antonio said, a smile coming to his face, "Vanessa loved all the children so much." Carley smiled, and looked down at the flowers in her arms. "These are for her," Carley said, her voice becoming shaky already, "I wanted to choose happy colors to commemorate such a dear, sweet woman who loved children so much." "Thank you," Antonio said, and took the flowers from Carley, gently placing them in Vanessa's casket.

Vanessa looked like a porcelain doll. Her ebony hair was in spiral curls that were perfectly polished, and her face was made up beautifully but naturally, as she would every day for school. She wore a white short sleeve dress with lace trim, and white lace slipper-like shoes, so she would have a comfortable journey up to heaven. Around her neck she wore a gold locket, containing a picture of Antonio. Carley walked up to the casket beside Antonio. "She looks beautiful," she said, "Just as if she were asleep." "Thank you." Antonio said, kissing his wife's forehead, "She's my angel." Carley wiped a tear from her eye as Mitch began to tug at her leg. "Mommy," he said, "I wanna go play outside." "Not now sweetie," Carley said, "Sit down in your chair, more people are going to get here soon." The little boy dug his shoe into the ground but obeyed his mother, taking a seat next to her as she sat next to Antonio.

The other guests began to arrive, parents with their little boys and girls, carrying flowers, gifts, and cards. They all signed the guest book and took their seats as the eulogist stood up to the podium. "Thank you all for coming," he said, "Today we are going to commemorate the life of Vanessa Utonium, a kindergarten teacher and wife, loved by many. She touched every child's life in this room, dedicating her own life to helping children succeed, spending every waking moment understanding them and nurturing them as if they were her own. Unfortunately, Vanessa's life was cut short, but today we are here to celebrate her life. You are all welcome to share your memories of Vanessa, describing any moment that you cherish with her."

The children all gazed on at their teacher in the coffin, and one little girl in the back of the room started to hysterically cry. Her mother held her to her chest and kissed the top of her head, and Antonio could hear her faint whispering. His lips began to tremble and his eyes became watery. It was that much sadder to him knowing that Vanessa left all these children behind. Another little girl raised her hand, and the eulogist handed the microphone to her. "Mrs. Utonium was the best teacher," she said in a clear voice, "She always made everything fun, teaching us shapes and the alphabet. And she always let me go first in show and tell." Surprisingly, the little girl maintained her composure and smiled as she went up to the coffin to put a rose, a teddy bear, and a card that said "We miss you!" into Vanessa's coffin. "Bye, Mrs. Utonium." she said as she sat down next to her mother. "Anyone else?" spoke the eulogist, and Carley raised her hand. "My son loved Vanessa dearly," she said, "Ever since he started school in her class, we already see an improvement with him at home...she truly knew what she was doing as a teacher. She let him express himself, while at the same time teaching him manners and how to be kind to the other kids. She was so playful with the children. Mitch would always come home after school so excited, telling me how him and Mrs. Utonium would play with legos and action figures. She will be dearly missed by our family." She then handed the microphone to her son.

Little Mitch's face was tear stained, crying so hard he could barely talk. "I just wish I could see her again." he sobbed into the microphone as his mother put her arms around him, "She was the best." He went up to Vanessa's casket with his mother, placing his favorite red truck and the schoolbus shaped card into it. He tapped his teacher's hand, distraught and frightened, "Please wake up, Mrs. Utonium." He choked out, "I miss you!..." Carley gently led him away, wiping the tears that were now flooding down her face.

The eulogist wiped his own eyes as he took the microphone. "Thank you all, especially the little boys and girls, that shared your memories of Vanessa. Now, Antonio Utonium, Vanessa's husband is going to share the memories he had with her." Antonio took the microphone from the eulogist, shaking his hand, and stood up to the podium. "Vanessa was the light of my life," he spoke, trying his best to remain confident, "She loved life...so much. And that was what I loved about her. She had so much passion in her, such a kind, gentle heart. I can't tell you how lucky I was, and still am, to have shared my life with her. More than anything, she loved children. Vanessa had a passion for teaching children to learn, she loved to nurture them and watch them grow. She loved her job more than anything, coming home every day to tell me how wonderful all the kids were...and I just want to take the time to thank the parents, and all the wonderful boys and girls who came today. I know Vanessa is watching over everyone, and that she loved each and every one of you very much. She wanted very much to be a mother, and we spent months trying to have a baby. However, we were unsuccessful. But as her dying wish, I am going to use Vanessa's DNA to create biological children of our own, so her spirit can live on in a little boy or girl. I love you, my angel. Rest easy and watch over us all." He kissed his wife's cheek and began to cry.

Antonio sat down next to Carley, wiping his eyes. She put her hand on his shoulder to console him, and he said very gently, "Thank you so much. I'm so grateful that you and Mitch came." The song "In the Arms of an Angel" by Sarah McLachlan began to play, and every one of the children and parents stood up to say their final goodbyes.

_"Spend all your time waiting_

_for that second chance_

_for a break that would make it okay_

_there's always some reason_

_to feel not good enough_

_and it's hard at the end of the day_

_I need some distraction_

_oh beautiful release_

_memories seep from my veins_

_let me be empty_

_and weightless and maybe_

_I'll find some peace tonight_

_in the arms of the angel_

_fly away from here_

_from this dark cold hotel room_

_and the endlessness that you fear_

_you are pulled from the wreckage_

_of your silent reverie_

_you're in the arms of the angel_

_may you find some comfort here." _

**A/N: That was literally the hardest thing I've ever had to write, I bawled my eyes out. :( It's so difficult to deal with matters involving the death of someone that was so close to children. Please review, more to come soon. All song lyrics belong to Sarah McLachlan. **


	3. Chapter Three: Hate in the name of Love

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone for all the reviews I have gotten so far! It means a lot to me that I'm getting continuous support from friends and fellow Hibbles shippers.

Chapter Three: Hate in the name of Love

In his lair, just on the outskirts of the suburbs of Townsville, Adrienne Utonium sat on his red velveteen couch as he observed Vanessa's funeral from the flat screen television. As a demon, he was able to spy on anyone or anything, at any given time in the world. He grabbed a tissue from the half empty box on the coffee table in front of him, and wiped the seemingly endless tears streaming down his face. As his view zoomed into Vanessa's beautiful, seemingly sleeping face in the coffin, Adrienne began to sob uncontrollably, knowing he would never see his former love again. Bittersweet memories were brought back to him, as he thought of the countless hours he had spent sleeping next to Vanessa in bed, waking up to see her look just like that, as she did at her funeral, while she peacefully slept in his arms. He thought she would never leave until the fateful day that Antonio had stolen her heart.

Adrienne's claws covered his face as he sobbed into them, the tears immediately creating a small pool. Demon-hybrid emotions were much stronger than a human's, and he felt the room grow colder around him. The weather outside was slowly turning into a storm. His misery was diverging into his surroundings as the color of the sky changed into a gray-green. It was like being in the middle of a horrible tornado, caused by his own anguish.

Losing Vanessa was enough to make his blood boil, how _**dare **_that do-gooder, high-and-mighty Antonio interfere with his affairs? Ever since that sneaky rat had foiled one of Adrienne's plans years ago, Vanessa suddenly "saw the light" and decided that assisting in her lover's domination of Townsville wasn't for her. And he took her, just like that.

He remembered it as if it were yesterday. During his father's campaign for Mayor, Adrienne had infiltrated his dreams in an attempt to scare the old man away from the competition. When he had announced to the town that he was going to step down from his campaign, Antonio suspected all too well that it had something to do with his troubled brother. Antonio confronted Adrienne in his lair about the incident, and without thinking his wife at the time was around, the villain confessed to his deeds. Vanessa had been in the bathtub all along and heard the whole thing, well at least the shouting argument part anyway. At that very moment, she decided to leave Adrienne, and to give the "honest man" a chance. Turned out that "chance" would be the way she would spend the rest of her life, being a mere schoolteacher in a suburban town, when she could have been the queen of ultimate evil, ruling the city with her king by her side.

Adrienne looked out the window as he watched the storm destroy the environment. Even if it was only trees and bushes he could see getting ripped to pieces, it brought a satisfaction to his mind. "Yesss..." he whispered to himself, "And if any more do-gooders stand in the way of my plans for making the simpletons of this town my slaves, I shall do the same to them."

The red-skinned man drew himself a bath, trying to wash away the ache of losing the only woman who held the key to his heart. There was no human he had any reason to leave unharmed, and they would all be pawns, like cattle or currency, as he one day would hold the world in the palm of his hand.

**A/N: Whoo, that was so hard to wrap my head around. Sorry for the shortness of this chapter! :( -sigh- You all will see more of Adrienne soon though. :) Read, review, suggest, and stay tuned for future chapters. **


	4. Chapter Four: Antonio's Angels

Chapter Four: Antonio's Angels

This week had been a tedious one for Antonio; He was doing anything and everything he possibly could to make his wife's dream come true. He had even bought decor for a child's room, complete with multicolored bedspread, stuffed animals, and toys. He was so sure everything was going to work that he wanted to be thoroughly prepared. He was more than ready to take on the role of "Dad." He paced back and forth in his lab in frustration. The locks of her beautiful hair lie on the large, steel table as he caressed them gently with his fingers. He smiled gently as it warmed his heart to know that soon, Vanessa would live on in a darling little boy or girl. He had dedicated this entire past week to brushing up on his knowledge of how to artificially create children in a lab, despite mourning the death of his wife. But Vanessa wouldn't want him to wallow and sulk. He had to do this for her, no matter how delicate or risky the task may be. Throughout his whole scientific career, Antonio knew artificially creating humans in a lab could be done, and with his demonic powers, it would surely be much easier for him to carry out the task than a mortal. But the last thing he wanted was to pass any of his demonic traits down to his child, especially since they were most recessive in him. He couldn't bear to see uncontrollable evil live on in another.

This is what frustrated the man, and was thwarting the creative process. He wanted to be a father, more than anything, but he did not want his child to be of his spawn...the child had to be pure and good, like Vanessa. Sure, Antonio's mortal side was good as gold, but the demonic strength and urges to do evil deeds were even too strong for Antonio to fight. If he were to see this exhibited in a child, his heart would be broken. He couldn't possibly reach his full potential as a father if he was raising a child whose purpose was to cause harm to humanity.

The other question that tumbled over and over in the scientist's mind was, as trivial as it seemed, was which gender he wanted the child to be. He could only create one child with Vanessa's DNA, to his knowledge, and he couldn't decide whether the child should be a boy or a girl. Vanessa never specified. However, she did say "children", so he was in a jam here. He was unsure of how to do this as safely and as according to her wishes as possible. Antonio thought it over, which was the best way to keep Vanessa's spirit alive? He thought about the beautiful, gentle, kindhearted person his wife was and smiled once again. In his head, he pictured a younger version of Vanessa. A little girl with ebony curls and green eyes just like her mother's. That was it, the scientist thought to himself, he would create a little girl, a mini Vanessa he could raise as his daughter and love all over again, just in a different way.

It was simple, Antonio knew the old saying, little girls were created out of sugar, spice, and everything nice. And with his scientific abilities, he could bring them to life in no time. His hands shook with excitement as he went into his storage room and found a large black mixing container made of metal. "This will do," he said as he set the container down on the lab table, and went into the kitchen to grab some sugar and fresh spices. (Whole nutmeg with a grinder, dried lavender, and thyme.) He mixed the sugar and spices into the pot with a wooden spoon and thought to himself that the "everything nice" part would be a challenge. This is where his demonic powers would have to come in handy...he would have to conjure the thoughts of nice things from his mind and make them into something tangible. Antonio thought of the nicest things possible; cute baby animals, rainbows, shooting stars, and the sound of children's laughter. Of course, what would "everything nice" be without the locks of his late wife's hair? Antonio carefully dropped the soft ebony curls into the pot and reached for a larger tool to mix everything together, as the small wooden spoon surely couldn't mix "everything nice" and the locks of Vanessa's hair into the sugar and spices thoroughly. He saw a large, heavy cauldron spoon to the right on the top of a high shelf. Antonio reached for it carefully when he felt his wrist bump something, a beaker full of "chemical x", something he was saving for a possible future experiment. The liquid was thick and black, almost like tar without the toxic fumes. The beaker had tipped over, though not breaking glass, as the substance poured into the pot. "Oh, no..." Antonio thought to himself, feeling his heart drop into the pit of his stomach. He was suddenly blown back by a chemical blast, knocked to the other end of the room, rendering him nearly unconscious.

Antonio had no idea how long he was out for, but as soon as he opened his eyes, he saw..._three_ little girls floating above the large metal container. He figured the floating had to do with the Chemical X, he made an effort to not put his own DNA into the mixture. The scientist was instantly frightened as he stayed frozen in his position, shaking as he stared in awe at the children before him. They were, despite being frightening because of floating in the middle of the air and having that strange chemical glow, darling little girls. They were all the same size, about the size a 5 or 6 year old child would be. _The same age as the children in Vanessa's class,_ Antonio thought to himself. The middle little girl had ginger hair down her back, tied back with a red ribbon that was in a bow on top of her head. Her eyes were pink, the color of tourmaline. She wore a simple, light pink dress with a black band around the middle, white stockings, and black Mary Janes. The little girl to the left had wheat blonde hair pulled up in pigtails, and clear blue eyes, the color of aquamarine. She wore the same dress and stockings as the middle girl, only in powder blue. The little girl on the right had short, straight black hair in a bob, and her eyes were the same emerald color as Vanessa's. She was dressed like her sisters, and her dress was the same color as her eyes. Antonio smiled. These little girls, strange as they may be, were adorable, and he'd love them the same as he'd love any "normal" children.

The scientist brushed himself off and walked over to his new daughters, not quite sure how to introduce himself. "Well...hello there." he said, laughing nervously and touching the back of his neck, "Who might you three little angels be?" "I'm Blossom." The ginger-haired girl said, "I love reading, science, and want to create world peace someday." "Oh, cram it," the black haired little girl said, and Antonio was surprised at her brash personality and lack of manners, "I'm Buttercup." she said, shaking the Professor's hand, quite aggressively, "And I love playing rough and kicking butt!" Antonio laughed, and said "Well aren't you something! And who might you be?" He looked at the blonde haired little girl, who was looking towards the ground, not saying a word. "I'm Bubbles," she squeaked, "I'm shy." "Well, that's okay, Bubbles." Antonio said, affectionately patting her head. "Well girls," he said, introducing himself to his new daughters, "I'm Professor Utonium, and I'm going to be your new dad." "Yay!" the girls exclaimed, hugging the Professor. "Okay girls," he said, "Go get settled in your new bedroom, it's upstairs and straight ahead." "Thanks Professor!" the girls said, and as they turned to go to their room, they didn't walk, but rather _flew, _without using their legs, straight up the stairs, leaving a colored laserbeam (each girl with their own individual color) behind them. Antonio was puzzled, but nonetheless overjoyed. He sat alone in his lab, wiping a tear from his eye as he looked affectionately at the picture of his wife he kept on his desk. "I did it, honey." he said, kissing the picture, "I hope you're proud."

**A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates lately! I've been so busy with my summer plans. Thanks to my loyal readers for sticking with me. (: I'll try to post a new chapter every 2 weeks or so, hopefully sooner! **


	5. Chapter Five: Happy Accidents

Chapter Five: Happy Accidents

The girls were in awe as they looked around their new bedroom, each of them finding items that sparked their interests. There was a king-size bed in the middle of the room, and it was adorned with a blue, pink, and green bedspread. Since the girls were so small, it would be comfortable enough for them to share. Once they got older, though, Antonio figured they would want to have separate rooms. In front of the bed, there was a long, white desk that looked perfectly untouched. A play chemistry set sat atop it, complete with beakers, a small digital scale, mock chemicals (harmless kitchen staples like baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring), and a real microscope. Blossom was delighted as she flew over to the desk to check out her new toys. Next to the chemistry set, there was a set of pink encyclopedias that were simplified for young children. The 5-year-old practically drooled over the books as she picked one up and began to read it immediately.

On the right side of the room, near the windows, there was a red punching bag hanging from the ceiling, complete with matching boxing gloves. Buttercup made a beeline for it. Beside that, there sat a shelf full of action figures and small articles of sports equipment, such as a football, a baseball glove, and a basketball. Antonio had purchased these items in case he had decided to create a boy, or if he were to have 2 or more children, both boys and girls. Buttercup certainly didn't mind her "boys' toys" at all. She was overjoyed with them.

To the left of the room, near the closet, there was a light blue toy chest. Bubbles squealed in delight as she flew over to it, opening it in anticipation. What she saw brought pure joy into her eyes. The toy chest was filled with a variety of bright, new, fluffy stuffed animals. Bubbles saw a small purple stuffed octopus wearing a top hat of the same color. He had gentle-looking yellow eyes, a big blue nose, and a U-shaped smile. The little girl picked up the plush animal and hugged it to her chest. "Aww, isn't he cute?" she said, showing the octopus to her sisters. Blossom was busy looking at paramecium under her microscope, and Buttercup was punching the lights out of her new punching bag, using her boxing gloves. "Yeah," the tomboy said, catching her breath as she sweated profusely, "he's real cute alright. Cute for a new ragdoll to beat up." She reached down for the octopus, and Bubbles squeaked, jumping backward. "Leave him alone!" she snapped, He's mine!"

Bubbles sat down in a chair, simply admiring her new toy. Bubbles adored everything about stuffed animals, especially small ones. The way they fit in your hand, the bright colors, the soft furry fabric, and the way you could hold them when you were tired or just feeling alone. She smiled and stroked the singular curl that hung down from underneath the octopus's tophat. "I'm going to call you Octi." she said as she smiled softly, hugging the animal once again to her body as she began to check out the rest of her new stuffed animals in delight, the same way a child would feel on Christmas morning or their birthday.

Buttercup continued to beat up her punching bag harder and harder, focusing all her energy into pummeling the punching bag as if it were a monster or a villain. Her kicks and punches became more vigorous, and she could almost feel the "monster" wincing in pain in her mind. She imagined a large, scaly reptile of some sort, possibly a dragon or sea monster. Before she knew it, Buttercup had knocked the punching bag through the wall of the bedroom, leaving a huge hole leading to the outside of the house. The young girl was both embarrassed and proud of her strength. "Oooopsss..." Blossom looked up from her microscope abruptly. "Buttercup!" she yelled, shocked, "You destroyed our new bedroom! The Professor is going to be furious!" "I didn't mean to!" Buttercup snapped, "I couldn't help it! All I could think of was beating the snot out of some sea monster, and it happened! Besides, it's not THAT hard to just use our laser eye beams and hot glue the wall back together in a few minutes." "And how are we supposed to do that, exactly?" Blossom argued, "The Professor doesn't even know who we actually are or what we're capable of, and he already seemed frightened enough in the lab." "He's our dad, isn't he?" Buttercup argued back, "Sooner or later he's gonna have to find out we're the Powerpuff Girls, and that we're only here to protect him and the rest of this dumb city." Bubbles sat quiety in her chair as she stroked her stuffed animal, not wanting to get in the middle of her sisters' argument. She didn't want to upset the Professor, but agreed that he would have to find out in some way that they had a greater purpose. "Why can't we just tell him?" she said quietly as she looked on at her bickering sisters, "It's not like we can keep it a secret forever." "I think he's been through enough today, Bubbles." Blossom said in a patronizing manner to her blonde sister, "Now Buttercup, we may as well try to patch up the wall before the Professor sees it. Come on Bubbles, we're going to need your help." Bubbles sighed and frowned as she set Octi back down on the chair.

Antonio was still hard at work in his lab as he let the girls get acquainted with their new surroundings, cleaning up the chemical explosion that had blasted him against the wall earlier. He wasn't sure what exactly to feel at this moment. Uncertainty was the best way to describe it. He didn't feel unappreciated by his new daughters, they had just gotten acquainted after all, but he felt as if they were keeping a secret from him. Whether or not it was a harmful one, he doubted, but he couldn't be entirely sure. He didn't want to think that the girls could be evil at heart, as they had no demon-hybrid DNA in them, but there was no telling what the Chemical X did to their genetic makeup. His mind began to race at the thoughts of the girls having health problems due to their abnormal appearance, or if they would get picked on at school. The scientist had to calm his mind as he assured himself he was most likely panicking over nothing, but he decided that this would be as good as ever a time to check on the girls regardless.

Buttercup, Blossom, and Bubbles were picking up pieces of drywall off the grass outside as they were using their laser beams (along with ordinary paste) to put the wall back together as quickly as possible. "You really should be more careful," Blossom said as she glued a piece to the top of the hole, "Our powers may be for the good of Townsville, but they're very strong and have to be used wisely. They're not a toy or just a special talent to show off for the sake of bragging." Buttercup rolled her eyes as she glued a piece towards the left side. "I told you I didn't mean to!" she shouted, "I can't always control my strength, you know." Bubbles was having trouble lifting multiple pieces of drywall towards the hole, as she had picked up too many at once. She just wanted to get the work over with so that the Professor wouldn't get suspicious, and so she could go back inside and spend some quality time with Octi. "Hurry up, Bubbles!" Blossom shouted, "The Professor's bound to come up the stairs any minute!" Bubbles flew as quickly over to her sisters as she could, helping Buttercup glue the last piece she pasted to the wall back together by using her laser eye beams. She did her best to arrange the pieces to where it was barely noticable that the wall had ever been broken, but just as she was about to glue up the biggest piece she held in her arms, the Professor made his way into the bedroom.

Antonio was shocked at what he saw. There was a huge, gaping hole in the wall leading to the outside of the house and the girls appeared to be putting it back together, aiming lasers from their eyes. He was instantly frightened as to whether or not the lasers could hurt him, or worse, if the girls had been hurt by whatever had caused the hole in the wall. "What happened here?" Antonio said as he made his way closer to the hole as his daughters floated in the air, suddenly having that feeling that they had been caught doing something naughty. "Buttercup made a-" Blossom began, and Buttercup cut her off. "It was an ACCIDENT!" she shouted, and all 3 of the girls began arguing at once, chattering so much that it was near impossible to understand them. Bubbles had joined in because she didn't appreciate how Blossom shot down her idea of calmly telling the Professor exactly who and what they were, but at the same time had made her join in the work of patching up the wall even though she had nothing to do with the destruction. "Girls, girls!" Antonio shouted, holding up his hand, "One at a time! Now, calmly tell me what happened."

Buttercup flew forward towards the Professor, landing into the bedroom. "I was beating up the new punching bag you got me, and I got really into it, you know? I was kicking and punching and I imagined I was just beating the snot out of a monster, it's my job after all, and I guess I didn't know how strong I was and the bag just sort of...flew through the wall." She looked down at the ground, ashamed. Antonio was instantly puzzled. "Your job..?" he inquired as he looked around at the 3 young girls, Blossom and Bubbles still floating in the air, "What's going on here?" His patience as well as his composure were being tested. Blossom knew she was going to have to be the one who broke the news. "Well, you see Professor," she said as she made her way into the bedroom herself, "We're the Powerpuff Girls. We're superheroes. The Chemical X you mixed into the concoction gave us superpowers, and we're here to protect you and the rest of the city from bad guys and monsters. Buttercup just got a little carried away with her way of practicing." Bubbles knew that she had to be a part of the discussion, as they were all a team despite their differences. "Yeah, Professor." she said as she stood next to her sisters, "Don't worry, we're not here to hurt you. We're the good guys...well, girls."

Antonio was instantly confused, but was becoming almost ecstatic as he entertained the thought of what he had just heard. "You girls are superheroes?" he said as he laughed nervously, "Well I'll be! I was afraid that you would use those laser eye beams to hurt me." "Why would we do that?" Blossom said, hugging the Professor, "You're our dad. You haven't done anything wrong to us." "Yeah," Buttercup said, "And if anyone tries to hurt you, I'll whoop 'em." Bubbles joined in on the group hug. "We love you." she said, "We only use our powers for good things." "I'm so happy to hear that, girls." Antonio said as he hugged his daughters, "Just try to be more careful and not play too rough next time you play with your new toys, okay?" "We will." the girls said in unison as they went back to patching up the wall.

_I'm the father of superheroes_, he thought to himself as he walked out of the bedroom. This had been his greatest scientific accomplishment yet. He would have to let his father, the Mayor, as well as the rest of Townsville know of his creations. He couldn't wait to share this gift with the people around him. The girls were everything Antonio had wanted and more; his little girls would be his saving grace.


	6. Chapter Six:Dark Clouds & Silver Linings

**Author's Note: Hey guys, just a quick update: I will be posting a new chapter every week rather than every two weeks, it's a lot easier for me to stay on track that way and prevents me from losing motivation to keep writing the story. Please read and review, and I hope a lot of you who started reading at the beginning come back to read the more recent chapters. :( I miss my readers. It's been hard for me to stay on track because I want this story to focus on Adrienne more than Antonio, and to tell you guys the truth, Antonio is really starting to annoy me and I hope I didn't create a Stu. I'm just trying to stick as close to the canon Prof. Utonium as possible while adding my own details. However, this is a romance story focusing on Hibbles, not Antonio and Vanessa since she is deceased. I digress...**

LITTB

Chapter Six: Dark Clouds and Silver Linings

Across Townsville in his secluded lair, Adrienne watched from his flat-screen television in anger as he observed the little girls repairing the wall. As a demon, it was his purpose to destroy all things good, and these little brats would be no exception. "How _**DARE**_ that fucking imbecile?" he shouted, flames of anger appearing in his eyes as he thought of Antonio. He was enraged at his brother for using Vanessa's DNA to create these little girls. Vanessa, all of her, was supposed to belong to Adrienne and be his queen. Now she was going to live on in the worst way possible: As 3 little sugarplums who would inevitably destroy Adrienne and his plans to take over Townsville. Worse, with the Chemical X that had given them superpowers, and seeing as how Buttercup put a hole in the wall, there was no telling how strong they really were, and what Adrienne would have to do to destroy them. "No matter," the demon said coyly to himself, "They're only children, aren't they?" He held his rubber duck, Mr. Quackers, in his hand as he laid back on the couch, stroking the toy gently. "No matter what _damage _these little brats try to inflict on me, I'll always come out on top as the ultimate evil of Townsville. They're no match for my immortal abilities."

Adrienne continued to observe the girls carefully. He watched as Blossom, the ginger-haired girl who was clearly the leader of the group, command her sisters and tell them how and where to glue the pieces of drywall back and place. He rolled his eyes as his face grimaced in disgust. "A bossy one we have here," he grumbled to himself. _Finding the weakness in the braniac would be challenging, but not impossible,_ he thought. He figured the best way to bring that one down was to threaten her intelligence by showing off his own brilliant mind. Evil as he was, Adrienne was very smart, challenging even the intelligence of his brother Antonio (certainly neither of the men got their brains from their father). He knew what made people tick, what their greatest secrets and weaknesses were. It was how he committed all of his crimes; by getting into the psyche of his victims. He would easily be able to do this with a mere child.

His attention then turned to Buttercup, who was grumbling and complaining at the fact that she was being bossed around by her sister. "I know how to fix it, Blossom," she snapped, "You don't have to be such a know-it-all." and she began muttering indescernible words under her breath, that were a bit too mature for a five-year-old to be saying. "Stubborn little thing," Adrienne said to himself as he observed Buttercup, "She might be my most worthy adversary, seeing as it was her physical strength that put that massive hole in the wall." _What she had in brawn she would lack in brains, _he figured, and in that sense, it may be easier to overthrow her than Blossom.

Adrienne was about to lose interest in the girls entirely when he noticed the pigtailed blonde Bubbles, playing on the groud with ther stuffed octopus while her sisters worked on the wall. He didn't feel initial anger towards her at all...he felt a rush of nostalgia come over him as he observed her innocence and naivete`. The little girl giggled as she made her octopus dance in the grass, and Adrienne couldn't help but smile. "Hurry up, Bubbles!" Buttercup shouted angrily, "If Blossom and I have to fix the wall, then so do you!" Bubbles sighed and set her octopus down. "I'll be back soon, Octi." she giggled as she flew over to her sisters, helping Buttercup patch up the drywall.

Even from that small observation, Bubbles reminded Adrienne so much of Vanessa with her optimism and childlike nature. Vanessa had always been the type to stop and smell the flowers in life rather than complain about hardships. Adrienne missed her so much, but seeing her live on in Bubbles wasn't...too horrible. He watched with enjoyment as Bubbles tried to make light of the situation while she patched up the last of the wall with her sisters, giggling and making jokes as they went along. "Sweet Bubbles..." Adrienne drawled to himself in a sweet, curious voice as his gaze zoomed in closer on the television, "You will be my little helper one day, my right hand in taking over Townsville..." Adrienne was drawn to the girl; she was a part of Vanessa after all. He wanted nothing but to make her his partner in crime, to have a sidekick to rule not only Townsville, but the world with. He couldn't help but feel his anger subside and his general mood soften as he watched her. He heard the faint sound of birds chirping outside, and out of the corner of his eye he saw a butterfly flutter past the window. Once again, his mood had diverged into his surroundings, surrounding him with warmth and dare he say, joy.

The lighthearted mood brought on by being introduced to Bubbles was not without resentment towards Vanessa, however. If she had just stuck around and saw past his evil, not to mention if she hadn't left him for his goody-two shoes scientist brother, she would still be here. Adrienne became angry at the thought of her selfishness, not wanting to deal with him and his evil. She could have been the queen of darkness, ruling the world by his side, loving the good in him as well as helping him carry out his master plans for domination. A song came to his mind as he thought of the moment Vanessa had left him by his lonesome as she made her choice to be with Antonio. The song "You're So Vain" by Marilyn Manson was perfect for the emotions stirring in his heart.

_"You walked into the party_

_Like you were walking onto a yacht_

_Your hat strategically dipped below one eye_

_Your scarf it was apricot_

_You had one eye in the mirror_

_As you watched yourself gavotte_

_And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner_

_They'd be your partner, and_

_You're so vain_

_You probably think this song is about you_

_You're so vain_

_I'll bet you think this song is about you_

_Don't you? Don't you?_

_You had me several years ago_

_When I was still quite naive_

_Well, you said that we made such a pretty pair_

_And that you would never leave_

_But you gave away the things you loved_

_And one of them was me_

_I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee.."_

Vanessa had given him up to live an easier life, after promising that she would never leave him. The years that they had spent together before their falling out were pure bliss, and he'd give anything to have them back. Having her with him now though, was nothing but a dream. But seeing Bubbles and her sweet, kind nature was a small bit of light in his darkness. He knew he would become closer to her, one way or another.

**A/N: Woo! Finished this chapter sooner than I thought. :) I really thought this song was fitting for Adrienne and Vanessa, especially if you look up the version of the song that's a mashup between the original Carly Simon version and the Marilyn Manson one. Of course, all rights to the song belong to Carly Simon, Marilyn Manson, and Johnny Depp.**


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